Catnip Joints: Legal in All Fifty States, Get High-Fives from Stark Raving Cats

AUSTIN, Texas - Oct. 1, 2014 - PRLog -- Catnip Joints look amazingly like the real thing, but these Stark Raving Cat toys are filled with premium catnip – potent enough to fire up even the most lethargic cats. StarkRavingCat.com makes and sells Catnip Joints and hip gifts for cool cats and the cat-obsessed. Founded by award-winning cookbook author Kate Heyhoe (who says she's finally released her inner cat), the online boutique features a Catnip Candle Birthday Card, High Flyer Wands, and lifestyle goods like t-shirts to shout out your Stark Raving Cat passion. The company is based near Austin, Texas, known for its motto "Keep Austin Weird." Catnip Joints fit right in.

“Premium Catnip. No fillers, just leaves and buds” says the Catnip Joints label. "They’re made in the USA, using a hand-sewn cotton case. That’s it, nothing more," notes Heyhoe.

"Of course, cats don’t actually smoke the catnip joints, but they mouth, sniff, drool, and slobber all over them. Toss one in the air like prey, and watch kitty bat at it; then toss another, and another, and another. The more you toss, the crazier your cat becomes," she says. Customer posts on Instagram and YouTube show cats grasping a joint between the paws and holding it to the mouth. "Mega-cute and so real looking," Heyhoe adds.

Catnip Joints are "legal in all 50 states (for recreational use)" and are so potent, some cats rip open the mailers to get to the joints. But that's just an appeteaser. "The real fun begins – for cats and humans – when you start tossing joints to your cat," says Heyhoe. StarkRavingCat.com sells a Catnip Joint 5-Pack for $10.

A gift set of six Rainbow Joints, in designer colors (including Pink Phloyd, Mendocino Gold, and Orange Sunshine) comes with an Indian stash bag made from sari scraps and retails for $19.00.

Catnip Candle Birthday Cards and T-Shirts

Happy birthday, dear Fluffy... It's true: some people actually celebrate their cat's birthday (not naming names here, you know who you are). The Catnip Candle Birthday Card ($7.50) comes as a card and gift in one. "Pull the catnip candle from the cupcake, toss it to your cat: it's party time!" reads the inside of the card.

Real men love cats. The New York Times says today's cat ladies are cool. "Shout it out!" proclaims Heyhoe. The Stark Raving Cat T-Shirt is printed front and back with Raver, the company's mascot, and the Saul Bass-inspired black-and-white logo, designed by Heyhoe herself. "It's a groovy graphic, even if you don't have a cat," she notes, "and always gets compliments." It sells for $24.00.

Heyhoe created her High Flyers Wands for her aging brother cats. "Even geezer cats jump for this extra-long, 7-feet-end-to-end wand toy," she says, and notes that old cats need gentler toys. "There's nothing hard on this wand's cord to bop a cat on the nose; everything's soft and flies gently through the air, so it's easy for stiff little arms to reach." Fifteen colorful foam shapes (lizards, frogs, sharks, and more) slide up and down the cord. "Customers say it’s the prettiest cat toy they’ve ever seen," notes Heyhoe; a pink-and-green pair sells for $15.

Kate Heyhoe is a self-proclaimed Professional Cat Lady. She's also an award-winning foodwriter and author, whose eight books include Great Bar Food at Home (a James Beard Award Finalist), The Stubbs Barbecue Cookbook, and Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen. Her cooking website, GlobalGourmet.com, has been an industry leader since 1994. Now, after years of being a closeted cat-lady, she's unleashed her inner cat, bringing tongue-in-cheek humor to cat-lovers everywhere.

"I was making catnip joints for my cats years ago," explains Heyhoe, "but only lately has the word 'joints' lost its stigma. Our next goal: to get Dr. Sanjay Gupta to endorse them. After all, catnip has extraordinary powers, and kitties need their herbal medicine too!"

About StarkRavingCat.com

StarkRavingCat.com makes hip, handmade toys, cards and gifts for cats and cat-lovers, created by Kate Heyhoe. Products range from catnip joints to greeting cards to t-shirts. Kate Heyhoe is an award-winning cookbook author turned Professional Cat Lady, and runs the Coffee and Cats Community on Google Plus. Hi-res images and samples are available. To showcase these goods in new product features and holiday gift guides, contact Kate@StarkRavingCat.com

Media Contact: Kate Heyhoe - Kate@StarkRavingCat.com.